YSL Influenster VoxBox Review

     I love getting new products to try from Influenster!  This last month I was sent a full size of the newly reformulated YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils mascara to test.  For anyone who is not familiar, Influenster is a community that brings brands and people together.  If you love to test and review products you should check it out!

     I have been using the YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils mascara for about a month (not that i wear makeup everyday, but I have tested it thoroughly).  Right now many people are using the fiber mascaras to get that bold fake lash look but they all seem to have two steps.  I love that this is one easy step since I am usually trying to hurry to get ready.  Plus it doesn't have any fibers falling from the wand which definitely helps.

      I do not usually go too bold with my lashes as I am a stay at home mom but I was able to get the length and volume I love with one coat.  If you wanted to go for a more dramatic look it would be easy to do another layer or two.  In the picture above (sorry for my terrible selfie skills), I have the YSL mascara on the left eye and nothing on the right.  You can definitely see the difference without it being overpowering which I love!  This is a great mascara and I am happy to be able to share it with you.

Disclosure - Product was received complimentary for reviewing purposes.  All opinions are honest and my own.




                           

20 Weeks - We are having a...

     Today I am officially 20 weeks so half way already.  I got an updated bump picture for anyone interested ;).  Not as cool as my sunset beach photos but we are back in MN so it is cold yet and we are not right next to a beach so the fence will have to do.   I had my ultrasound appointment today and  we were finding out the sex of the baby so I was super excited!  I have a hard time waiting until my 20 week appointment to find out so I can't imagine waiting until they were born. I decided to try and take some photos of Amelia with our news...

     "Not a brother!"  Just kidding, though as a side note Amelia may not want balloons at her birthday party.  I thought balloons would be a fun and cute idea but apparently Amelia did not agree.

     Luckily I had a chalkboard inside so onto plan B.  Amelia loves chalk so this was an acceptable option.  She jumped right in helping me color on the chalkboard!

     We are having a boy!  We are all excited and now I can start shopping ;).  He will, after all, not be wearing Amelia's old clothes.  We haven't really discussed boy names yet so now we know where to focus our efforts.  It always seems to be so difficult to agree on names!

                          

Our Family is Growing!

     I am very excited to announce our family will be growing by one more!  Our baby is due to make their appearance around August 6, 2015.  Amelia is excited and says she would like a sister, although last month she was requesting a brother so that may change again.  She does love babies, until I hold one of course ;).  I think she is going to make a wonderful big sister!

    I had my first doctor appointment before leaving to San Diego and baby looked great!  I am finally starting to feel better so just praying for an uneventful pregnancy and healthy baby.  Since we are just down the block I had Matt take pictures for weeks 10 and 12 on the beach!  Now to figure out how to take the gorgeous beach home with me ;).

I tried to get a picture of Amelia and I by the heart in the sand but she did not have any time for pictures.

10 weeks

12 weeks

12 weeks

       Since beginning this post, some time has gone by and I am now 19 weeks along.  Sadly I haven't taken any more bump pictures (which has gotten a lot bigger!) so I will put that on my to do list this week.  Everything has been going well and on Thursday we are having our 20 week ultrasound and finding out the sex of the baby!!!  I couldn't be more excited to find out so I will be sure to post again later in the week. 

                            

Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier Review

     Vicks was kind enough to send me this mini cool mist humidifier for review through Influenster.  This was perfect timing since I did not have one in my daughters room and coming home from vacation she came down with a bad cold.  We had been away from the cold and dry winter air for four weeks and we definitely ended up needed a humidifier.  This particular humidifier has some really great features!

     The Vicks cool mist humidifier holds half a gallon of water and I only have to fill it once a day when running at half power.  I love that I know it won't run out of water at night when she needs it running.  I haven't had to turn it up higher because her room isn't huge and it does a good job at that half way point.  My favorite feature is the spot you can place the scent pads.  While I don't use these often, when she has really bad congestion these can be a lifesaver.  It came with one scent pad that contains menthol and eucalyptus oils but luckily I already had some extras (we had the night light that used the same pads).   Overall this is a terrific humidifier and I may end up getting a second one for our room!

Disclosure - this product was received in exchange for an honest review.




                              

Evergreen Nature vs. Honest Prenatal Vitamins

     I have been taking a prenatal vitamin every day for three years.  First when trying to conceive with Amelia, then pregnancy, nursing and now while we are thinking about a second ;).  Vitamins are important to me since I know my diet is far from perfect and I want to be sure the best nutrition is being passed on.  In this review I am going to take a look at two one-a-day prenatal vitamins.  I know some people prefer the whole food prenatals which are three pills a day but I prefer remembering once daily so thats what I am going to look at today.  In this review I will be taking a closer look at Evergreen Nature and Honest Company prenatal vitamins.

Evergreen Nature Prenatal Vitamins:
Positives:

• Small size makes them easier to swallow
• Inexpensive at $24.77 for 90 days of vitamins
• Made in USA

Negatives:

• Contains dyes.
• Doesn't contain probiotics or enzyme blends. (helps break the vitamin down so it is getting properly absorbed.)
• Contains Folic Acid instead of Folate (some people have no issues breaking down and converting Folic Acid but some do so I try to stick with Folate)
• Doesn't contain any minerals
• No DHA

Honest Company Prenatal Complete One-A-Day:
Positives:

• Contains an extensive list of vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy.
• Contains Folate instead of Folic Acid
• Contains prenatal wellness blend
• Contains Probiotics and Enzyme blends for better digestion of vitamins
• Made in USA

Negatives:

• Larger size may be more difficult to swallow for some (I have no problems with swallowing pills so it doesn't bother me)
• More expensive at $35.95 for two months of vitamins if you buy the bundle
• No DHA

     Both vitamins have their positives and negatives and while I am not a doctor these are my opinions.  Overall I would say it is pretty clear that the Honest Company Prenatal is a more comprehensive vitamin.  It contains a lot more vitamins and minerals as well as being equipped with Folate.  I also like the herbal blends and the enzymes because your vitamin isn't doing much good if you don't break it down and absorb it.  I would say if you can afford to spend more for a higher quality vitamin it is going to be worth it.  Now if you have extreme troubles swallowing pills or simply can't afford to spend more then the Evergreen Nature is the way to go.  It still contains many basic vitamins needed during pregnancy and nursing.  If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant it is very important to take a prenatal vitamin preferably 3 months before conceiving!

     Since neither vitamin contains DHA I also take a seperate Omega + DHA supplement.  I also take a separate probiotic, vitamin C, and Vitamin D.  I got these recommendations from my Chiro who also does nutrition.  I am not a doctor so I cannot advise what you may need to add to your regimen but I do suggest asking a nutritionist or doctor if you have concerns.  I hope this post helps to give you an idea of what to look for in a good prenatal!

                            

Disclosure - Some items in this article have been sent in exchange for an honest review.  Post also contains referral links.  All opinions are 100% my own and not meant to replace medical advice.  If you have health related questions please talk to a doctor.

Week 51-52 And done

     You may have noticed I didn't get a blog post up last week as I had a busy holiday.  I did get pictures taken though so I decided to just do one post for the two weeks, which will round out my Project 52.  I am excited to have made it through my project and definitely going to continue learning more.  In some super exciting camera news, I ordered a new Canon 6D!!!  I am trying to patiently wait for my camera to arrive so I can start playing! 

Week 51:

     I took more than one picture this week but I was trying to work on my black and white editing.  I hardly ever do black and white so I thought I would try something different.  It is a nice start but now I kinda want to play around with black and white some more since you can get some really dramatic images that way.  I will admit my model doesn't take direction very well (or at all) so sometimes it is hard to practice a specific technique when I want ;).

Week 52:

     We put up our Christmas tree this week!  Normally we have a giant tree that has about 100 pieces but we are leaving for vacation in January so I simplified with a smaller tree this year.  Amelia was very interested in helping put the tree up, she called it "pretty pretty".

     My helper took a lot of breaks for important things like more lippie.

     She was captivated by the lights once I plugged it in.  We haven't put on any ornaments yet but she loves the lights.  She went through touching each one but overall she has been very nice to the tree.  This week we will have to dig out all the ornaments to decorate it!

     I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who followed along my Project 52.  All the support has helped me keep going instead of quitting (though a couple times I thought about it).   I had started out the year with the goal of learning manual mode on my camera and I have definitely accomplished that.  While I have a lot more to learn this project has helped me come a long way, plus now I have lots of great memories captured!  

                      

Soothie Suckers Review + GIVEAWAY

     Soothie Suckers are an all natural herbal ice pop meant to help boost your immunity!  I had never heard of such a thing so I was super excited to get these.  I received the nasal support variety and just in time as Amelia was getting a bit of a runny nose. They are 100% plant based and safe for kids.  I love finding natural ways of keeping my family healthy!

     Soothie Suckers come in two varieties, Immunity Support and Nasal Support.  The Nasal Support are purple in color while Immunity Support is orange.  We have been using them unfrozen since it is so cold here in Minnesota but they would also be a fun treat frozen like an ice pop.  They taste great and Amelia definitely gets excited to see them so it is very easy to get her to take one.  I love how portable they are, they are all pre portioned so there is no measuring involved.  They are great to throw in your diaper bag and go.  I am bringing some with us on the plane for our trip in January.  I feel like after spending the day on a plane and in the airport we will both need some immunity support!

       Soothie Suckers are free of artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, and alcohol.  You can see above the quality herbal ingredients in each of these pops.  We have been very impressed with their effectiveness and taste.  These are a great alternative to conventional cold medicine and I love that they are safe for little kids too.

     Now for the best part, Soothie Suckers is giving away two boxes of Soothie Suckers!  To enter the giveaway just use the Rafflecopter widget below, good luck!  Must be 18+ and in the U.S.  Soothie Suckers also provided a discount of $2 off a box with code HEALTHYFUN on their website.  Now everyone can try them out and at a great price. Plus there is no limit to how many boxes you may use this discount on!  Stay healthy everyone and thanks for reading :). 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

                     

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.